Heavily gilded openwork carving of two dragons chasing a ‘flaming pearl’. In China and Japan, dragons traditionally symbolize auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. The dragon is a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it. The ‘flaming pearl’ is associated with spiritual energy, wisdom, prosperity, power and immortality. This gilded panel originally formed part of a ‘Butsudan’ (佛壇) which is a Buddhist shrine commonly found in homes in Japan. A ‘Butsudan’ is a lacquered wooden cabinet with doors that enclose a religious icon which may be a statue or a painting of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, or a mandala script. The panel dates from the Meiji period (1868 – 1912) and was found by friends of ours in Japan. Length 62 cm. Depth 6 cm. Height 10 cm.